BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

Tremor38

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Re: Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

sail2xxs said:
Are you using the RideOnADV mounts, or some other mounting method?

Chris
Yes, I'm using the ride on adv mounts. Jaxon's bracket gets the lights as high as they will go without modifying the adjustable pieces that are attached to the lights themself.
 

Tremor38

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Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

Guys, check the clearance between your brake hose and the back of the lights by turning your forks full throw. My was chaffing, and I discoverd that the grommit on the hose had slipped out of the metal retainer on the lower tree (or maybe it was missed during assembly?). I reinserted the grommit and pushed the retainer further aft, so I have clearance, but the gap is still pretty small, so I put teflon chafe guard on the hose for insurance.

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~TABASCO~

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Ive seen several ST with loose floppy ABS cables going down the brake line.. Ive pulled them more in line with the brake line and then added some small zip ties to keep it next to the brake line.. The little extra play is now down by the fender or at the top.. Or people can go to Home Depot and get some spiral plastic tube. It should be in electrical. You can spiral it around the front brake line and ABS for a little extra over all protection... ::008::
 

Desert Dave

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Installed mine yesterday and decided it was a good excuse to go hit some twisty roads last night.

Straight up, these things are all they claim to be. Almost TO bright, I was finding the reflection from some road signs annoying :D Seriously. Before I left I looked at the pattern on my garage door, while the stock lights looked like a horizon with a straight line and sharp cut off the Baja lights looked like the morning sun with a big round spot in the middle and a large circle of coverage with the floods. I really don't need these to be this bright, I was after more coverage because the stock lights would have me turning into corners blind when at lean angle and the edge of the light was below where I was going. These lights solved all of that.

I wired mine with the dimmer using the connection from the factory fog lights and tapped the high beam wire in the pictures above for the trigger switch. After some experimenting I doubt I'll use the dimmer much, probably just 100% with my high beam. The only thing I might do different is find a way to remount these so I can point them outward just a bit. Looks to me like a very high concentration of light from the spots right in the middle with less to the outside. I'm thinking if I were to adjust them outward I could move the spots further apart until the overlap between them was about equal to the spots, then I'd have more even light over a wider area in front of me with the benefit of the fading light covering even further to the side. Not sure how I'll mount them to do that though. Can't hang down any further as my measured distances from fender to my fork travel seem really close. I don't have a zip tie on the fork, but it's easy to see wear the fork seals have cleaned the water spots from the last puddle I went through. I then used a tape measure to try an eyeball at the same angle of the forks to the lowest point on the lights...very unscientific, but a bit closer than I like.

On a side note my remote has been unreliable. Works perfect most of the time, but a few times now when I've been manually adjusting it up to full brightness it doesn't want to come back down, or turn off. Staying in the same position and pressing repeatedly it will eventually turn off, but this performance is unacceptable for on road use. I'm guessing it may just be a battery? I can try that first, if not there is a glitch between my remote and dimmer somewhere.

To sum my quick review, worth every penny. My search for more light has ended ;D
 

Tremor38

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Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

Hi Dave. Glad to hear you're up and running. None of the remote's functions work while your headlights are in high beam...only while in low beam. Try this: While in low beam turn the Baja lights off with the remote, then switch the headlights to high beam. The Baja lights will come back on at 100% and you won't be able to do anything with the remote until you go back to low beam. It's a complete bypass of all of the remote control's functions.


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Desert Dave

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Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

Tenerator12 said:
Hi Dave. Glad to hear you're up and running. None of the remote's functions work while your headlights are in high beam...only while in low beam. Try this: While in low beam turn the Baja lights off with the remote, then switch the headlights to high beam. The Baja lights will come back on at 100% and you won't be able to do anything with the remote until you go back to low beam. It's a complete bypass of all of the remote control's functions.


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Thanks Tenerator, but I'm aware of that. In fact that's why I wired it that way as that's how I WANT it to function. The only time I used the remote was while on low beam. It's an inconsistent issue.
 

Tremor38

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Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

Desert Dave said:
Thanks Tenerator, but I'm aware of that. In fact that's why I wired it that way as that's how I WANT it to function. The only time I used the remote was while on low beam. It's an inconsistent issue.
I see, my bad. I leave mine at around six button pushes from max dim while in low beam. It fills in the dead spots thay way and doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic. Can't go much higher than that through. Had my car and bike facing each other while I did the test. The darn things looks like an alien vessel at night. Almost expected the theme from Close Encounters to start playing. ???
 

Desert Dave

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Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

Tenerator12 said:
I leave mine at around six button pushes from max dim while in low beam. It fills in the dead spots thay way and doesn't dazzle oncoming traffic. Can't go much higher than that through. Had my car and bike facing each other while I did the test. The darn things looks like an alien vessel at night. Almost expected the theme from Close Encounters to start playing. ???
Yeah, I think these lights require a certain amount of responsibility :D I haven't checked yet myself but I was wondering how high I could leave them on with the low beam and not piss off drivers. Even at lower power it sends a lot of light high, guess I'll have to find a balance for that. I'm even thinking of rewiring mine so I can use stock high beams independent of the Bajas just to give me a choice in certain situations.

Last night there was a "super moon" and one of the roads I was on was filled with photographers doing what I'm sure were long exposure night landscape shots and my squadrons lighting up the hills probably botched up a few takes :D
 

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I've been wanting to plug in an avatar but couldn't decide. These new lights inspired me. I will take a better pic at night and plug in later, but wanted to see if the concept plays. ^-^
 

merchant

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Someone mentioned the brake line hitting the back of the lights. So...I looked and sure enough, the brake lines were just barely scraping the back of one of the lights. No bueno. ::007:: Jaxon recommended flex cable wrap around the brake lines, so off to Home Depot I go. Of course, you only need 3 inches and they sell it in 7 ft packages (for a whopping $1.95). I bought the 1/2 inch diameter flavor which turned out the be the right size. A couple of small wire ties and done.

To keep the brake lines from touching the lights, I got 2 plastic cable anchors (again 1/2 inch) and placed one below the plastic clip on the brake line that holds the ABS line. The other went further up the brake line near the hard brackets. A long wire tie connects the two and pulls the brake line so it no longer touches the lights. There is next to no pressure on the brake lines (as evidenced by the wire tie still being nearly circular) so no worries about kinks. The beauty is that it can be pulled tighter if need be while on the road. Don't think it will be an issue though. ::008::

The obvious solution is to fab another bracket that brings the lights further forward. I considered this option. First, I like how the lights look where they are. Second (and more convincing), making another bracket would be a huge pain in the sack. Third, this solution solved the problem in 10 minutes for minimal cost. If it proves less than permanent, I will resort to making another bracket. Fingers are crossed.
 

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~TABASCO~

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Good job ! I was thinking of this type product.. Then there is no need for zip ties.. Of course get it in black...

 

Tremor38

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Re: Re: BAJA DESIGNS **GROUP BUY** SQUADRON from RIDE ON ADV

~TABASCO~ said:
Good job ! I was thinking of this type product.. Then there is no need for zip ties.. Of course get it in black...

That's what I did and It'll do for now, but I'm starting to see plastic shavings on the heatsink fins (they're sharp), so I'm gonna try the spot ties at next opportunity....good idea.
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Seems to me we could have some different brackets to mount the lights that would get them higher to clear the fender on full compression and also away from the brake cable to eliminate the chafing.

I am thinking something like a 1" x 1" x 1" aluminum block with 2 holes drilled and tapped in one side to match the Yamaha mount pattern (like Jaxon's brackets) and the other sided drilled and tapped for the bolt that mounts the lights.

Jaxon - you want to take a look at this?
I am out of the country the next few weeks. If nothing happens I will make some up for myself in June and post some drawings / pics

John
 

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Sure. We can build anything. :)
 

merchant

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~TABASCO~ said:
Good job ! I was thinking of this type product.. Then there is no need for zip ties.. Of course get it in black...

Jaxon, I saw this kind of wrap at Home Depot as well. In the end, I chose because I wanted 100% coverage. The spiral wrap looks like it could leave vulnerable spots, especially in the bends. Knock on wood, it will be a mute issue (because the wire ties will keep the brake lines out of harm's way).
 

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Nice new sig ! ::008::
 

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johnpitts01 said:
Seems to me we could have some different brackets to mount the lights that would get them higher to clear the fender on full compression and also away from the brake cable to eliminate the chafing.

I am thinking something like a 1" x 1" x 1" aluminum block with 2 holes drilled and tapped in one side to match the Yamaha mount pattern (like Jaxon's brackets) and the other sided drilled and tapped for the bolt that mounts the lights.

Jaxon - you want to take a look at this?
I am out of the country the next few weeks. If nothing happens I will make some up for myself in June and post some drawings / pics

John
~TABASCO~ said:
Sure. We can build anything. :)
I'll be glad to be the "guinea pig" to try out an improved bracket design! 8) Since you areshooting me one out anyway tabasco! ;)
 

~TABASCO~

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Shipped out, on the way to ya... ::008::
 

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stevepsd said:
What change did you make?
None, He just wanted a set of brackets I made up....
 
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